Voice placer



Patented Mar. 15, 1927.

ST''ES EVA KELLER, OF PASADENA, CALIFORNIA.

VOCE PLACER.

Application led October 27, 1825.

My invention is what l term a voice placer 'to be utilized in teaching the proper method of singing, in so-called placing and cont-rolling the voice.

An object of my invention is to enable the singer or person to listen to their own voice and judge the proper placement, tone quality ofthe voice etc. llilhen a person is singing, particularly those who are not accomplished vocalists, it is diflicult to properly hear their own voice as the sound developed in the mouth is conducted by the eustachian vtubes to the ears and the general vibration internally conducted to the ears so that they do not hear their own voice properly by the external ear, and are therefore unable to judge if it is being properly proouced.

One of the objects necessary to attain in proper singing is what is termed a` frontal placement of the sound, that is the sound appears to he developed or produced immediately behind the teeth and appears to resound in the nasal chambers. lllhen a voice is so placed it does not have the so-called throaty qual-ity.

Another feature necessary in singing is to maintain what is called a flat mouth, that is, the tongue is held in a iiat position against the lower portion of the mouth, forming a large mouth passage and giving what is termed an open throat.

In my invention of a voice placer l utilize a plate preferably somewhat (lished, the lower edge of which is lightly pressed against the teeth. This plate is held in 'frontoit the face closely adjacent the end ot the nose and appears 'to resound to the 'frontal vibrations of a. properly placed so-called frontal voice. It is possible that the teeth communicate a certain vibration to the plate and these vibrations are reflected bacl; through the bony structure of the face and the nasal chambers and partially detected through the inner and outer ears. By the use of this resonance or reacting plate a singer is enabled to detectif vthe voice is properly placed in a so-called frontal position.

Another feature of my invention is a back reflector formed of a dished shape reflecting plate adapted to be held at a slight distance from the mouth and below the mouth to receive the full vibrations of sound of the singing'. rlhis reflector throws the sound waves back to the outer ear where they are heard in a. natural manner. Thus `the singer is able to judge by listening to their own Serial No. 55,119.

voice through the outer ear both its proper placement and tone qualit-y.

l prefer to mount both the teeth engaging plate and the distant reflector on one supporting device so that they may both be user at the same time and be properly positioned relative to the mouth.

Another feature of my invention comprises a spoon-like device which may be thrust into the mouth to hold the tongue down and pressed into a flat position, this Spoon being preferably used with the voice placer v,device and may be readily `disconnected therefrom as practicing singing with the spoon compressing the tongue cannot be carried on for a long period.

My invention will be more readily understood from the following description and drawings, in which;

Figure l is a perspective view of my voice placer, illustrating th-e position and approximate size in reference to a singer. rlhis shows the teeth engaging the front sound plate, the rear sound reflector beingbelow the mouth and the removable spoon engaging the tongue. The singer would preferably hold the voice placer in the hand utilizing' the iingers to control the spoon.

Fig. 2 is a plan of the voice placer with the tongue spoon.

Fig'. 3 is a vertical ,longitudinal section on the line 3-8 of 2.

Fig. et is a front elevation taken in the direction of the arrow 4f ol2 Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a rear perspective view of a modified form of voice placer in which both the reflecting plates are adjustably mounted on a frame.

Fig'. 6 is a front perspective view of the voice placer of Fig. 5.

Referring first to the construction shown in l, 2 and 3, the voice placer is formed with a front reacting` or resonancel platel. a rear reflecting plate Q, with side bars 3 and l connecting the plates These plates are preferably dished as shown in Fig'. 3 with the mid section 5 of the plate l below the periphei,7 6 and with the mid section 7 of the plate 2 a greater' distance. below the periphery 8 rllhe plates are of a somewhat oval shape in front or rear elevation shown in Fig. Ll-.

r`lhe trent plate is preferably inclined backwardly at a more acute angle than the baci; plate rllhis is for the purpose of allowing the upper teeth to be placed substantially on the dotted line 9 adj'acent the lower edge 10 of the front plate, the plate then being slightly spaced from the nose when the head is properly positioned todirect the voice horizontally.

The forward end 11 of the side barsvat the forward curved portion 12 may entend slightly forwardly of the lower edge oi the plate and may be spaced wide enough apart tobarely-touch the face or upper lip; this giving an Aadditional guideV to the proper positioning of the plate.

The rear-plate is provided with a slot 13 slightly above Iits lowervedge 14 in which is supported the stein section 15 of a tongue spoon 16, this spoon having an enlarged end 17 to engagethe tongue. The slot is otsui'- cientsize to allow the enlarged end 17 to h'aveaslight vertical swivelling motion.

'The manner of using my. voice placer as above described is to positionthe lower edges ofthe front upper teeth against the iront plate 1 on substantially the line 9, the head being positioned to throw the voice substantially horizontally or slightly above 'the horizontal. VThe back plate 2 is positioned so that'the lower edge 14 is below the mouth; thus the sound waves coming from the mouth impinge d irectlyon this plate. v

When the singer is singing in the proper manner in the so-called frontal placement of the voice, the front reacting or resonance plate 1 appears to vibrate in accordance with the vibrations of the teeth andalso by the sound waves directly impinging thereon reiiects or reverts these sound waves or vibrations back through the teeth and through the bony structure of the face. The tones'V also appear to vibrate in the nasal chambers. These vibrations or tones are readily detected by ther singer who thus can ascertain it' the voice is properly placed. The front plate 1 also reflects a certain amount of sound to the external ears. The rear plate 2 is relied upon principally for reflecting the sound waves from the mouth back to the outer ears and h avino' its lower edge positioned below the mouth, the full sound waves impingenthereon and some are reilected backwardly. u

My voice placer is preferably made of material having bars 3 and 4 which may beV to hold the tongue in proper position while practicing. As above mentioned the tongue spoon may be Vreadily disconnected from the voice placer and either device used separately.'` .f Y- Y In the construction ofFigs. 4 and 5, a rigid frame 20 having side bars 21 Vand 22 with arear bar 23 forms a support for the voice placing-reflector plates. |These plates designated as the front plate 24 and the rear plate 25 are shaped somewhat as shown in Figs. 1 to 4, but are mounted on cross rails 26 and 27 which have clips or eyes 28 engaging the bars 21 and 22 and allowing their relative sliding movement. lThe clips or eyes 28 are preferably provided with a spring 29 to form suiiicient resistance tothe sliding motion to hold the clips in proper position. VWith the constructionpof these Figs. 4 and 5 both reflecting plates can be used at the same time or else the front plate -inay beremoved oil the free ends of the trame-and the voice plate only be used or the voiceplate may be removed and the front teeth plate utilized alone. Y Y

A. tongue spoon 29 of substantially-the saine character as shown in Figs. 1 to y4 is slidably and'adjustably mounted in a slot 30 at the rear plate 25. Withthis construction the free ends 31 of thebarsV 2O and 21 may be pressed lightly against the cheeks and thus enable the singer to determine the proper position ot the whole device.

t will be seen by the above construction that l have invented a very simple device to enable thevocal student to determine if the voice is properly placed in the mouth and to listen in the proper manner to his own singing. The practicing may be conducted in a soft voice without a strain and thereby enable the singer to acquire proper control without developing incorrect manners ot singing, which once acquired 'are very diicult to overcome. u My invention although of, a simple design niaybe considerably changed to suit particular requirements'or to illustrate different phases of vocalteaching and may be altered in general construction and in -details without departing from the spirit of my invention as indicated in the description, drawings and claims. i

The sound reflecting plates of the co-nstructions oi Figs. 1 to 4 or Figs. 5 and 6 are both relativelyV adjustable. In Figs. 1 to 4 the side bars 3 and 4 would preferably be made of a bendable material and may have a sharper` bend than shown in the drawings to position the plates closer t0- gether Vor a flatter curve to space them' further apart. Moreover, the angular position ot the plates'is adjustable in regard to each other by bending the plates at dierent angles in reference to the supporting bars.V

The voice placer will be made of suitable material to remain in the position in which the plates are bent. f

ln Figsn and 6 the relative spacing of the plates is secured by moving on the side Vbars but they are adjusted angularly in regard to each other by slightly bending the material of the plates adjacent their lower edges.

It is thus obvious by the construction shown that my voice place-r may be made of an inteOra-l and same material by being formed of metal plates as in the construction of Figs. l to l, of a compressed rubber material or other substances which will form good sound reflecting mediums and retain the shape in which they are bent.

In the construction of Figs. and 6 the sound reflecting plates may be made of material entirely dill'erent from that of the frame.

In summing up my invention it may be stated that accomplished singers can readily detectl when they are placing their voice with the proper so-called frontal placement as they can detect a distinct sound vibration in the forward part of the mouth appearing to be adjacent the upper teeth and also in the nasal passages. lilith a person who is not so accomplished, my voice placer is of material'benefit. The reacting and resonance plate l in being placed against the upper teeth distinctly emphasizes any vibration in the front part of the mouth and forcibly brings this to the attention of the pupil. It a person is not placing the voice properly, they do not get this eflect and thus can readily detect when the voice is properly placed. This resonance or reacting plate properly re-transmits vibrations back through the teeth, the bony structure of the head and int-o thel nasal passages, emphasizing the effect of frontal placement of the voice. The rear reflecting plate 2 catches the sound waves directly from the mouth and reflects these back to the head where they may be detected by the external ear; thus also allowing the singer to more accurately change the tone of singing.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

l. A voice placer comprising in combination a frame, a front sound reacting plate adapted to touch the front teeth near its lower edge, and a rear reflecting plate positioned to receive the sound waves from the mouth.

2. A voice placer as claimed in claim l, in which the frame comprises side bars with an open space therebetween.

3. A Voice placer 'as claimed in claim l, having in addition a spoon-like device adapted to press the tongue and means for operatively engaging the spoon-like device and one of the plates.

il. A voice placer comprising in combination a dished front reacting plate of substantially oval curvature, a frame connected to said plate, a rear reflecting plate having a dis-hed surface and a substantially oval contour, said plates being positioned at an angle relative to each other, the front plate being adapted to touch the upper teeth and the lower plate to be in the path of sound waves from the mouth.

5. A voice placer as claimed in claim 4, in which the distance between the plates is adjustable.

6. A voice placer as claimed in claim 4, in which the angular position of one plate relative to the other' is adjustable.

7. A voice placer as claimed in claim 4, having in addition a slot through the lower portion of the rear plate and a spoon-like device having a stem extending therethrough, said device being adapted to press the tongue downwardly.

8. A voice placer comprising in combination a pair of side bars with an open space therebetween, a front sound reacting plate operatively connected adjacent one end of the side bars, a rear reflecting plate operatively connected adjacent the rear ends of the said bars, the front plate having its lower edge positioned and adapted to be engaged by the upper front teeth and the rear plate having its lower edge positioned below the direct path ot sound waves proceeding from the mouth.

9. A voice placer as claimed in claim 8, in which the front plate is inclined relative to the trame to position said plate slightly spaced from a persons nose and the rear plate is positioned substantially vertically when the voice placer is held to reflect horizontally projected sound waves on its lower edge.

l0. A voice placer as claimed in claim 8, in which the side bars are formed of a bendable material, said material being adapted to retain the shape in which it is bent.

1l. In a voice placer, a sound reactinu' plate of substantially oval contour, dished in the center and having a. substantially straight lower edge, said plate being adapted to engage the lower edge of the upper front teeth adjacent its lower edge, and means to support said plate.

l2. In a voice placer, a sound reflecting plate of substantially oval contour, having a dished center portion, said plate having a forwardly curved lower edge, and means to support said plate with the lower edge below the line of sound waves projecting` directly from a persons mouth.

13. In a voice placer as claimed in claim 1Q, in which the plate is provided with a slot adjacent its lower edge and a spoon-like tongue engaging device slidably mounted in said slot.

In testimony whereof I have signed my naine to this specification.

EVA KELLER. 

